Gabriel trains in Barcelona as Manchester United race to resolve teenager's exit request before 16th birthday

Manchester United face a tightening deadline to settle JJ Gabriel’s future, with the 15-year-old academy forward turning 16 on Tuesday — an age at which he could be eligible to join a club abroad, given that he also holds a European passport.

Gabriel requested United cancel his registration last month in a move that caught the club off guard. The attacking midfielder had appeared to be in line for a role in Michael Carrick’s first-team plans after a standout academy campaign in which he scored 26 goals in 29 appearances and claimed the U18 Premier League Player of the Season award. United declined the cancellation request, and Gabriel has not returned to the club’s Carrington training base since.

Speculation over his destination has centred on Barcelona and Real Madrid. The Manchester Evening News reported that Gabriel has been working in Castelldefels — a coastal town near Barcelona — with his personal coach Jack Hunter and a group of specialist coaches. His family are understood to be keen on a move to the Catalan club, while Real Madrid are also said to hold an interest.

Carrick addressed the situation carefully when asked about Gabriel. “I’ll just repeat what I said: he’s a young boy, it’s important we don’t put anything out here, the exposure and scrutiny we have to be careful,” the United head coach said. “We have to be sensible and think about him. The situation will work itself out.”

Gabriel had been in contention to make his senior debut against Brighton in the Carabao Cup last month but was left out of the squad after submitting his exit request. He did feature for Carrick’s side during pre-season.

Off the pitch, Gabriel — who has 857,000 Instagram followers — wiped his account of all content in September, shortly before his request to leave became public. He subsequently restored three posts: two documenting Nike sponsorship deals signed in 2021 and 2025, the latter described as a long-term contract, and one showing him collecting his Player of the Season award alongside Premier League all-time leading scorer Alan Shearer. He has also posted training footage to his stories, material originally shared by coach Hunter.

United’s ability to retain Gabriel beyond Tuesday will depend on whether the two parties can reach an agreement before he crosses the threshold that opens the door to an international move.